Ocular expression of avian thymic hormone: changes during the recovery from induced myopia

PURPOSE: Several studies suggest that postnatal ocular growth is under the control of factors within the eye that regulate the rate of scleral extracellular matrix remodeling and the rate of ocular elongation. A microarray analysis was employed to identify some of the factors involved in the regulation of visually guided ocular growth. Gene expression was compared in the retina-retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE)-choroid of chick eyes that were decelerating in the rate of ocular growth (“recovering” from myopia) as compared with contralateral control eyes. METHODS: Form-deprivation myopia was induced in the right eyes of two-day-old chicks by the application of translucent occluders. Following 10 days of deprivation, occluders were removed and chicks were provided unrestricted vision for an additional 1–7 days (recovery). After one and four days of recovery, chicks were sacrificed, retina, RPE, and choroid were isolated, and mRNA was subjected to microarray analysis using a chicken immune system 4000 gene microarray. In addition, whole eyes and isolated ocular tissues (retina and RPE, choroid, sclera, and extraocular muscle) of treated and control eyes were subjected to real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blot analyses to verify gene expression results. RESULTS: Following one day of recovery, only one gene, avian thymic hormone (ATH) was highly upregulated (+12.3 fold). ATH gene and protein expression were confirmed in the retina and choroid as well as in the sclera and extraocular muscle. A significant increase in ATH protein was detected in choroids from treated eyes following four days of recovery as compared to contralateral controls (p<0.05; Wilcoxon signed-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: ATH is expressed in several ocular tissues and is specifically and rapidly (within one day) upregulated in the choroids of chick eyes recovering from induced myopia. This upregulation corresponds to the onset of choroidal thickening and increased choroidal vascular permeability. The identification of ATH in ocular tissues and its increased protein accumulation in the choroid during recovery from induced myopia suggest a novel role for this protein in the choroidal response to myopic defocus.